Series drivers collect AARWBA honors

MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2009
SHARP, HENZLER COLLECT AARWBA HONORS
Wolf Henzler and Scott Sharp received their honors over the weekend as First Team All-America members at the 39th annual Auto Racing Banquet in Ontario, Calif. Both were honored by...

MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2009

SHARP, HENZLER COLLECT AARWBA HONORS

Wolf Henzler and Scott Sharp received their honors over the weekend as First Team All-America members at the 39th annual Auto Racing Banquet in Ontario, Calif. Both were honored by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) for their 2008 accomplishments - Sharp and David Brabham in the Road Racing category, and Henzler and Jörg Bergmeister in the At-Large category.

Founded in 1970, AARWBA proudly honors the top drivers from all forms of Motorsports for their devotion toward the advancement of the sport, and this past weekend continued that tradition:

Scott Sharp, Patrón Highcroft Racing
Acura ARX-01b (LMP2)
"I want to thank you for this honor. David (Brabham) extends his appreciation; he could not be with us tonight. It is an honor for the entire team to race an American Le Mans Series prototype. Duncan Dayton started a great team and it is the team that got us to this point. I want to also thank Acura. ... (the ARX-01b) is quite a car. For 2009, Acura decided to join LMP1 for the coming season. Acura has designed a new car. We are highly anticipating and excited to see what it can accomplish on a global basis."

Sharp will be returning with teammate Brabham for Patrón Highcroft Racing as well as transitioning with the Acura ARX-02a.

Wolf Henzler, Flying Lizard Motorsports
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT2)
"Thank you very much for this award, which I accept for myself and my co-driver, Jörg Bergmeister. Our number 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR won the GT2 Championship this (past) year in the American Le Mans Series, and I appreciate the members of AARWBA for recognizing that achievement. ... I would like to thank Porsche Motorsports for providing the best GT car in the world, Flying Lizard Motorsports for having the best crew to prepare our car and my co-driver Jörg for always keeping the car on track and in the race, while IMSA and the American Le Mans Series provided the ideal platform for car companies to show off their latest technology."

In 2009, Henzler will team with Dirk Werner to race with Farnbacher Loles Racing in a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR; Bergmeister will return to Flying Lizard and reunite with his 2005 GT2 co-champion teammate and American Porsche factory driver Patrick Long.

The AARWBA banquet additionally acknowledged Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas (Penske Racing) along with Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner (Audi Sport North America) in the Road Racing category as Second Team All-America honorees. The duo of Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell (Corvette Racing) were named in the Road Racing category as Honorable Mention.

The American Le Mans Series starts its 2009 season with its annual Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway on January 26-28. Six weeks after that comes the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. America's greatest sports car race is scheduled for March 18-21.